Getting a Children's Book Published
Q: How do I prepare my manuscript for submission?
A: Start with a title page with the title in the centre, and under it, who it is by. At the top put the type of book and number of words, for example, a children's book of approximately 20,000 words, or 20,356 words (computer count); your address, email, website (if you have one) and telephone number should be in the bottom left-hand corner.
Type the manuscript in double spacing on one side of the paper only. Paper should be white A4. Coloured or tinted paper is not appreciated by editors.
Q: How do I write a book proposal?
A: A book proposal has three parts:
- A cover letter
- A synopsis
- The first three chapters.
Q: What should I put in the cover letter?
A: Keep it short, not more than a page. Be businesslike.
- Say why you are approaching this particular publisher.
- Distil your book in a couple of sentences.
- Say how long the finished manuscript is.
- Say why it will appeal to readers; mention your target age group.
Q: What should I put in the synopsis?
A: This is not a chapter by chapter outline, but an overview of the book. Try to keep it to a single page, never more than two. For a synopsis, you can use 1.5 line spacing instead of double spacing.
- Start with the title, the theme or subject of the book.
- Say what age group it is written for.
- Say who the main characters are and mention what they do in the story.
- Tell the story briefly, mentioning the big scenes.
- It is important to show the ending, and tell how your characters have been changed by the adventure.
Q: Why do publishers take so long to reply?
A: They receive more and more manuscripts each week and staffs are frequently quite small. If they like a submission, it often has to be read by at least three people before they come to a decision. Patience is the author's watchword here. If you harass publishers, they send manuscripts back without reading them. They do not like pushy authors.